The Emra Jade Chronicles
by Saberpilot
Summary: Not only did Mara have a sister, she had a whole family. Learn of Mara's fall from grace in this new series. From Emra's point of view. (COMPLETE)
1. A New Journey

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, no Mara Jade. However, Sapri , Geo, and Emra Jade are my own creations. If you wish to use them, e-mail me.   
  
Note: This takes place 6 years after Luke was born. So, therefore, Mara is 4 years of age. Emra is around 15-16 years old.  
  
  
The Emra Jade Chronicles- A New Journey  
  
  
This trip through customs was no interstellar picnic, especially with my younger sibling. She was endearing and cute at times, but now was not a time for her to act cute and draw attention. Father and mother had gotten their papers and such for us to leave the small planet of Bastion, but were fearful as always, because of our family secret. It had caused us to flee from planet to planet across the galaxy.  
  
It was bad enough that I had to dismantle my one means of protection, my lightsaber, into miniscule parts and pieces, but the brunt of this torture was having to act like a nerfhearding, flirtatious teenager. The real danger lay in being discovered by the Emperor's watchmen who guarded all entrances and exits to space. Only getting past them was the hard part. Once parted from the nosy, over-questioning guards, my heart could beat easily. Memories clearly rang through my head, reminiscing planets I had traveled to before.  
  
I remembered the sweet, cool air of Corellia, the planet of interstellar smugglers. I recalled the desert planet of Tatooine, on which the sand stung with every step. The disheartened planet of Corouscant, where oppressive Imperial dealings were everyday and torturous.  
  
But now was not the time to think of such things. Father and mother handed their passports to the customs officer, their faces blank and feelings buried deep within themselves. Leisurely the customs officer just stamped our books and let us out. The guards ignored us, already involved in their own conversation of politics and bureaucracy.   
  
I breathed a sigh of relief, walking toward my family's personal vessel, the only thing of material value that we still held. The Smuggler's Moon was old, yes, but it could take us where we needed. Many a year had I spent on the vessel, hiding from the Jedi Hunters. I shook away the painful memories as my sister caught my attention. She jumped up and down with the excitement of space travel. I smiled gently down towards her.   
  
"Where we going?" little Mara asked me.   
  
"We are going to the.." I looked around for any signs of listeners. "..planet of Naboo. It's on the outskirts, same as Tatooine. But, trust me, little one, much, much nicer."   
  
"Naboo? Flowers?" Mara looked up at me, her wee reddish-gold curls glistening in the sunlight of this alien world. As of late, Mara had started finding a certain fascination with flowers. I indulged her fantasy.  
  
"Yes, plenty of flowers. Thousands of flowers. Now, let's get going," I told my sibling, then turned towards my mother, who had been loading supplies.   
  
"That was a lucky break, mother. I was afraid those guards were going to detect us for sure this time. Mara was overexcited again." I glanced around, then whispered quietly, "I'm afraid she'll get us caught soon-"  
  
"Quiet!" Mother yelled, then glancing sideways at me, whispered back, "We've held our luck so far. No reason to question our good fortune. Besides, I noticed that trick you pulled off at Corellia. That could've gotten us killed, too."  
  
I grimaced. She'd noticed my putting off the guards by having another family "appear" out of nowhere. They'd fallen for it, all right, but she was right. We were indeed lucky.   
  
"Emra! Sapri! I need your help in here!" called Father from deep inside the vessel. "Time for liftoff!"   
  
Mother and I looked at each other quickly, then bounded up the entrance ramp. Father and Mara were already strapped in, ready. I quickly took the co-pilot's position and put on my headset. I punched in the coordinates for Naboo, then waited for the computer's calculations to print out. I handed them to my father, then entered the ship into lightspeed.   
  
"Two hours," said Father in his hoarse voice. "Emra, time for practice." He breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had been holding his breath for hours. "Take your sister with you. She may only be a child, but she's old enough to start training. Besides, for a teenager, you are old not to be teaching."  
  
I made my thoughts of his ignorant comments unknown to him, and started back towards the edge of the ship, followed by my four-year old shadow. My fingers found, then pushed a button that was not there to the naked eye, or at least, to most people's. Out of the hidden came an item that the Emperor would have killed many innocents for.   
  
It was a Holocron, one of the last not in Imperial hands. I sat down, cross-legged, to face my younger sister. Her green eyes looked up at me in innocence and purity. She was not darkened by anything of the Imperials' doing. My mother and father had told me of times of peace in the Old Republic, of Jedi Lore and famous doings. It was now time for me to train someone, as my parents had. Who better than my own sister?  
  
I spoke softly to her, giving her an idea that this was something important.   
  
  
"Mara, do you know what a Jedi is?" I asked her.   
  
She thought until she came up with an answer. "Isn't that what you and mama and papa are?" she asked me. For a small child, I thought, Mara was keenly tuned to the things going on around her.   
  
I nodded. "Yes, that's right. We're Jedi." I smiled at her, and she smiled back. "And that means you are Jedi, too."   
  
She thought about this with deliberate effort, then smiled again. Then she did something that thoroughly shocked and amazed me. She telepathically talked for the first time.   
  
(Sister, is this what we are?) she asked me. I nearly fell over with amazement, then Mother and Father walked in, bewildered as I. I thought it a mere prank, and dismissed it as such.   
  
"Mara, what did you just do?" Mother asked, breathing and looking back and forth between Mara and me. Father's eyes were inquisitive and wondering, and I was just plain stupefied.  
  
(I talked.) she said, and that was the moment in which I collapsed.  
  
  
  
  
"Emra.." I was floating in a beam of light. "Emra..." Who was that? I wondered. I floated towards the figure, one bathed in light and joy. "Emra, return to me..." the voice repeated. A woman appeared before me, one I had never seen before. Her red hair gleamed in the light, playing cascades of reddish lights across the distance. Her green eyes were full of love and life. And....   
  
And she wore a lightsaber.   
  
A Jedi Master from the past? No, she looked like no one from the archives of my holocron. Something was familiar about her, something I could not place. Then it hit me. She was from the future.   
  
She came towards me, smiling. Her smile told me not to be frightened, not to look away. Her healthiness told me that the Jedi Knights were not extinct as I would've thought the future might have brought. Then, abruptly, she stopped. She opened her mouth to speak.   
  
"You will bring one great joy. You will be a Master, one day. And, you will make sure your sister is safe."  
  
"Wait!" I called out to her as she turned and started back towards the light. "Who.. Who are you???"   
  
A smile played upon her lips. "Someone whom you will know, one day."   
  
And then I woke up.   
  
  
  
  
(Emma! Emma! Wake up!) my sister's cries rang out. (I'm OK! Emma!)  
  
I worked up the strength and courage to sit up on my legs. My parents stared at me with open, worried eyes. I had been laying on the medical cot, my arms and legs limp and heavy with pain. My sister was pale and white, my parents' faces just as pale and worried.   
  
My mother was the first to break the silence.   
  
"Emra, you gave us quite a scare." Her voice was rather shaky and full of worry. "Are you all right? Something was quite wrong with you. I felt in your wake two powerful force presences instead of only just you. What happened?"  
  
I processed her words carefully and precisely. I had gone somewhere else. I had been with another force user. And I had not been here. I spoke carefully, trying not to upset my little sister.   
  
"I don't know," I said, trying to recall what had just happened. I felt like I was on information overload. "I was floating, somewhere. There was a woman.." I drifted off for a moment. "She said I would know her, one day."  
  
My mother looked startled. Obviously, this was not the expected answer for me to give. She turned her head towards my father, then looked at me once again, disbelieving. "Do you suppose you could have had a vision?" she asked.   
  
Once again, I was confused. "No, I don't think so. It seemed too real. And yet..."  
  
My father spoke up silently. His force skills were not what they should have been, but that was to be expected due to his lack of training. (Emra, no time for games. We are getting out of hyperspace in less than five minutes and I need your help. You were out for a while. Get your gear on, and act normal. I don't want this landing to be a hassle.)  
  
(Yes, Father.) I answered back to him, silently as well, for Mara was not yet able to comprehend what others said through the force. Good thing, too. She was already way too informed for her own good.   
  
My mother offered me her hand-I took it and brought myself off the floor, only now realizing how long I had been "out of it". I stepped into my flight suit in the back of the ship, shivering from the coldness of space, in its glory and entirety.   
  
My father was waiting for me in the pilot's chair. I sat down and took the co-pilot's position. "Out of hyperspace on my mark." My father readied himself for the jump. "Mark." I flipped the switch. Normal space flew out before my eyes, just as mysterious.   
  
A blue- and green-misted planet opened before my eyes. A small, outskirted planet that held a widely-known, loathing hatred for Jedi. So, of course, what Jedi would dare to land there?  
  
  
  
After directions from a youthful Imperial officer, we touched down outside of the capitol of Theed. This planet of Naboo was very beautiful, mysterious, and strange. Or were we the strange ones? We got some rather apprehensive looks as we came down off the landing ramp. The landing fees were paid, words were exchanged. I opened my sphere of responsibility, as the Jedi Knight Kinda, also known as Sapri Jade, my mother, had taught me.   
  
Very few realized the connection between the "ancient" Jedi and my mother. She had taken great pains to destroy all evidence of her former identity within the Jedi Order. Her master had been killed in the Clone Wars, when she had only been thirteen years old. She had no other alternative at the time other then to learn to fend for herself. Her parents were dead, her connections cut. She learned the hard way how to fend for herself. Then, one day, she met my father, a bashful young man who also had Jedi abilities, but never formally trained.   
  
He had been a handsome figure of a man (so my mother told me) with wavy blonde hair and green eyes. Mother had also been rather attractive, too, I guess. My father told me one day (and even showed me a holograph) of her when she had been younger. She had straight red hair, and blue eyes as deep as the sea.   
  
I had heard the fairytale romance many, many times. I just hoped that one day, I would find the right one for me- one who would listen, and not constantly talk. One who would treat me kindly and with the respect due. Who was I kidding?  
  
We exchanged our currency to that of the local kind, and set off on our way to possibly make a sort of living here on this alien world.   
  
Naboo was known for its high arches, its delicate scenery, and its loathing for Jedi. This loathing had occurred a long time ago, before I was even born. It had had to do something with a love between a ruler and her people, and the relationship with a Jedi that she had had. In any case, we were already outlaws if someone found out what we were.  
  
As we walked down the street, I noticed an amphibious creature standing on the outskirts of a small tavern. He was middle aged and quite handsome, I suppose, for his species, because lots of females of his species were quite crowded around him.   
  
I stepped up to the individual. He looked up at me.   
  
"And whosa are yousa?" he asked in a rather strange accent.   
  
"I am Emerald Wrade," I said, lying through my teeth. The name was close enough for me to respond, but still give me a cover. "I am a stranger to this planet. Is there any place around here that might offer respectable work for a young woman such as myself?"  
  
He looked quizzically at me. Oh, shavit. I thought. I've really blown it up now. I should have discarded this poetic "Jedi" form of speech a long time ago. Now, we'll be found out and it'll be all my fault.  
  
He paused a second. "Yousa have a funny ways of a speakin'," he said somberly. "Yousa reminds me of someones I knew a long time ago. Me thinks you should come with me- something tells me yousa needs my-a help."  
  
He stepped down from his stool and motioned for my family to follow him. Mara skipped along rather innocently, not at all afraid of this towering lizard.   
  
"Wellsa, yousa guys got yoursa selves intos a lots of troubles," he said rather quickly. "Yousa all Jedi, wisa maxie bit, sa Force, and all?" My father looked towards my mother, then at me.   
  
"What makes you think that, my good fellow?" he said rather quietly.   
  
"Wellsa, first off," I got ready for the lecture to come, "Yoursa manners of speakin' ain't normal arounds here. Seconds, yousas got some non-Imperial clothing going on here. I knows of a safe haven for Jedi, but you guys first gots to tell me- are your intentionables honorable?"  
  
I looked over to my mother. She was dumbfounded, shrugged, then stated, "We are here only to start a new way of life without prosecution. And to protect our children."  
  
I snorted. Some way of protecting me. Who, had last time, gotten us around an Imperial officer through flirtatious schemes? Certainly not her. Who still had their lightsaber? Who had..   
  
"Enough, Emra. Thank you, kindly, stranger, for your offer of help. It would honor us greatly to accept your offer," my father answered to the creature.  
Rather politically said, but well spoken, Geo. Telepathically my mother said to my father. I once again snorted. Rather politically spoken, Geo. Rather well spoken, Geo. Why don't we give you a medal, Geo..  
  
"Emra! I'm surprised at you!" whispered my mother to me.   
  
"Wellsa, comes this way, all of yous.." the amphibious sentient lead the way.   
  
I shivered. He was traveling down a damp, cold alleyway. Normally I would have scoffed at such a thing. Wait a sec.. I was acting rather strange for some reason.  
  
I evaluated my previous emotions and sayings. I sighed. Mood swings. They were at it again. And no amount of Jedi-training could take them out. I did a silent meditation, then followed the rest of my family down the alleyway, continuing our journey...  
  
  
  
  
We came upon a well-lit (store? shop?) in the alleyway. The (Gungan? Is that what they were called?) creature stopped at the lights, then indicated that this was our "stop".   
  
"Yousa safe in heres. Some of the Jedis in theres will help you with whatevers yous be needing on Naboo. Just be carefuls. Some of the locals aren's so taken with the Jedis. I've seen some Jedis that the Emperor took.."  
  
I cut him off. "The Emperor was here? When? Where? Mom, Dad, we should get Mara away-off this planet-yes, out of here, right now..."  
  
The (yes, I was right) Gungan looked at me funny. "What's so special bout this little gooberfish that the Emperor can't find her? Or is it none of mesa business?"  
  
I glanced at Mother and Father. They looked puzzled, as if they had no idea of what I was talking about. This puzzled me. Surely they understood what I was talking about?  
  
"Mother, Father, what is the problem? You understand, don't you?"  
  
They shook their heads in confusion. I took a deep breath, then proceeded to explain. "Mara has shown a strength I've never seen before in employing the force. She has shown this both by her quick means of learning, and.. I've had a dream. A vision, you might say."  
  
Mother and Father's eyes seemed pinned upon my face. "A vision, you say.. of what?" asked my mother.   
  
I disclosed carefully, making sure that they understood, "A vision of Mara and death. Whose death is uncertain, understand me. I just know it felt that way around her. And the Emperor was there."  
  
My father looked like he had been expecting something else, but something less gruesome and violent. His face held the color of white chalk, scared, and worried.   
  
I spoke quickly. "These visions have been reoccurring frequently. I would've thought that you and Mother were having the same vision, but obviously not. Some of the visions hold different circumstances, but each ends the same, with Mara, death, and the Emperor."  
  
A pause fell upon the alleyway. The Gungan spoke up. "Wellsa, he only comes around here every.. oh.. half-cycle. So yous shouldn't have to worry." The Gungan looked worried. "Me's gots to go. Oh, wells. Hope yous all be safe here! Welcome to Naboo!"   
  
And with that, he went back the way he had come.   
  
  
All right? Well, what do you think so far? It's a little project I've been working on..  
Please read/review & please no flames!  



	2. Emotional Trists

Hey! I know it's been a while, but I also had other projects to work on! hee hee....  
  
I looked back the way the Gungan had led us, then glanced up at the store-like building. It was greenish, with royal maroon trim and yellow panes. Hmm. Looked comfy enough.  
  
My mother knocked on the door quietly, then a little louder. Finally, a robot eye came out and looked my family up and down. I stood quietly, waiting for any sort of reaction that I might get in return.   
  
"State your identities," said the voice, heavily metallic in nature.  
  
"My name is Sapri, this is Geo, and our children, Emra and Mara. We are the Jade clan, or, more specifically, what's left of it." My mother's eyes were steady upon the fixture, which left itself back in via a hole in the door. Suddenly, the door's handle opened with a slight 'click'.  
  
Looking at it as though it were made of hot metal, I slowly touched it and opened the door. Inside, there was a welcome sight to behold, indeed.   
  
Sitting to one side, in front of a computer screen, sat a girl with a smiling face and a darker complexion. She grinned up at us, her red hair bouncing merrily.   
  
"Hi there, folks. Jade, eh? We've heard plenty about you. Still have that holocron?"   
  
My parents gasped in awe, and I looked on in wonder. How did they know about the holocron? Hadn't we managed to hide it well enough?  
  
Seeing our responses, she giggled. "Don't worry, me and Jasper are the only ones that know about it. The empire's hackers are so second rate." She stood up and walked over towards us.   
  
She was about my age, but had a smaller frame and build. Her eyes were brown with green speckles throughout, and a lopsided grin to match. Stray hairs of red hung down in front of her face, their small slivers outlining a slightly triangular face. She wore a green jumpsuit with a   
dark emerald sash from shoulder to hip, and a black security belt to match.   
  
The girl held out her hand.   
  
"Name's Teka. Teka Iyaid." My father grasped it and smiled back at her. She seemed so lighthearted.   
  
"Nice to meet you, Miss Iyaid," he replied. "And you know all our names already."  
  
She looked us up and down, then shook her head.   
  
"Those clothes will never do. Let's get you something decent to walk around planetside. Oy! Jared!" she called down a hallway that I hadn't noticed before.  
  
A young man with dark brown hair and spectacular green eyes came out of it. He was strongly built, being just about a handspan or so taller than me. He had a serious face, but lines around his eyes suggested there was much more to him than business.  
  
The teen Jared looked me up and down. For some reason, I blushed. I'd never been looked at.. this way. Sure, I'd faked flirting with security officers, but they'd never really paid any attention to me. I blushed even deeper as we locked eyes.   
  
"Well, then. Something for you all?" Mara stared up at him with innocent eyes.   
  
He blushed a little when I nodded. Oh, he was so fine! I wondered what planet he was from.. could he be from Corellia, like me? or from Coruscant, like Mara?   
  
"Follow me, then." He led us down a hallway covered wall to wall with clothing and goods. His eyes traced some smaller garmets left and right. Suddenly, his hand jutted into a rack of clothes, and he pulled from it a small jumper.  
  
It was colored green, with a small cuff of dark maroon engulfed around it. Attatched to the clothing was a cloak of a similar dark maroon, with red trim attached to the hemmings. He threw it towards Mara, who caught it, her eyes shining.   
  
"For me?" she asked plaintively, her large eyes seeming to grow larger with hope.   
  
"Yep, for you all right," Jared laughed.   
  
Mara smiled that little innocent grin of hers, then hugged the jumpsuit tight to her chest.   
  
"Can I go try it on, mommy?" she looked up at mom, who smiled encouragingly, and said, "Yes, go on now."   
  
Mara skipped back towards where Teka had been. I guessed she was planning to ask the computer whiz where she should change. Heaven against heavens I hoped that she would have the good sense to show Mara to a proper sanitary station. . I still remembered the time when Mara didn't understand what clothes were for. And boy, was that a horrible couple of months.  
  
The boy looked around once more, then stepped deeper into the closet-like hallway. His hand snatched up another article of clothing, this time a greenish robe type thing with black trim and red belted. It was as close to a version of the Jade hertige robes as I'd ever seen.  
  
He looked up and down the robes quickly, then handed it to my father.   
  
"These are as close as I can get to your heritage. Thankfully, they're a very popular style around here, so you can wear it regularly. Enjoy!" he smiled, a slight smirk on his face as my father also left to put it on.   
  
"Now for the ladies.." he turned to the opposite hallway, and starting sizing up outfits. He finally grabbed a jumpsuit made of dark woven maroon with golden trim. He handed it to my mother.   
  
"It has a secret pocket on the side, in case you'd need to hide anything from the public," his eyebrows went up, then down, as my mother nodded to show understanding.  
  
As my mom left, she winked at me, then turned. Or I could have imagined it. I turned to face Jared, and I felt.. small. I felt insignificant next to this handsome and obviously classy teen.  
  
I blushed, then turned my face, before he could see it. He slowly looked me up and down, seeing my size, but when I turned to look at him, our eyes met, and he blushed as well.   
  
"Well.. For something of your figure and calibur.." he headed far into the back, grabbing a wrapped bundle, then removed the shrink wrap from it.   
  
I gasped. It was a robe of my favorite emerald hue, finely woven in an expensive and hard to find weave- royal thatchery. Accompanying it was a pair of pants made in the same way, with dark blue trim on the ankles, as well as the arm and necklines of the robe.   
  
Upon the hanger as well there was a long, finely woven navy wrap that was made to drape over both shoulders, as well as a navy belt to tie around her middle. I gaped in awe at the beauty and majesty of it all.   
  
He shyly handed it to me. I smiled, blushing all the while, not knowing exactly these feelings I was having. I'd flirted with guys before, but I'd never been flirted with, and blushed because of it.   
  
I took a chance to glance back at him as I headed towards the way we'd come. He looked fine.. extremely fine. The way his brown hair seemed to cascade down in front of his muscular face. And those eyes- those eyes of a similar color to Mara's.. yet, deeper. More intelligent and thoughtful. Those eyes that you could just fall into..  
  
And suddenly I realized that he was glancing back at me, too. Blushing furiously, although I tried to control it, I scrammed out of the room as quick as a wink, turning the corner, only to run into..  
  
"Miss Emra!" Teka grabbed my shoulder, steadying herself so that neither of us would fall. She had a somewhat mischievious smile on her face, and with one glance at mine, I knew I was dead meat.   
  
"So, what do you think of him?" she questioned with a slight smirk. She cocked her head to the side, a devious look in her eyes.  
  
"Umm.. who?" I tried to look innocent, but failed miserably.   
  
"Jared, you dolt! I know you were checking him out- don't play coy with me. I'm not only a master of mechanics, you know.." She slightly raised one eyebrow. "And from what I saw when you guys came in here, he enjoys your company immensely. So why not change into this number," she nodded towards the emerald and blue jumpsuit, "and get ready? We're going to be going on a little journey. Your parents and sister are across the hall." Her eyes twinkled merrily.   
  
"I'm sure Jared would like to see you in it, too.." she laughed, and pushed me towards a sanitary station, in which I immediately closed the door and hung up the outfit.   
  
I looked around me, then saw the mirror right in front of me. Thank goodness for sanitation. I sighed, then pulled my hair down to brush it.   
  
'I must have this cut at some point,' I pondered, 'this hair nearly falls down to my waist!'   
  
Finishing that, I cast aside my former clothes, being careful to not jolt my lightsaber on. I still didn't know how I'd managed sneaking it past customs. Oh well. No matter. I carefully unwrapped it from its sheath. I laid it aside, then slipped on the elegant jumpsuit and robes.   
  
Admiring myself in the mirror, I realized then that I looked like a young lady- finally. No more having to pretend I was a mere twelve year old child or preteen, as my parents explained me to avert attention. As a young lady, I didn't even look quite like the teenager I was.   
  
'I look almost like my mother..' I pondered. I did resemble her, structurally at least, if my hair wasn't exactly the same color as hers. And my eyes matched hers.. somewhat. My mother had more grey in her eyes than blue, unlike me.   
  
I finally sheathed my lightsaber underneath one of the hidden folds of the robe. Not feeling extremely energetic, I didn't do much with my hair, except braid the sides back. Nothing big.   
  
Feeling like a brand new me, I undid the lock on the door and headed over towards my parents. They were both watching Mara, who was playing with a type of toy that I'd never seen before- a box with sand in it that was changing into shapes.   
  
Father from the back looked extremely handsome in his new outfit, and my mother simply looked beautiful in hers. Mara's outfit, on the other hand, for some reason, slightly disturbed me. She looked darling in it, don't get me wrong, but a sudden feeling of dread came over me, and I saw something- a quick glimmer of light, and then a person.  
  
A young teen stood in a black jumpsuit made of synthide, with a red cape draping about her. She wore goggles and black gloves, grasping a lightsaber of a similar hue as that of the pure anger flushing upon her face.   
  
Just as quick as it had come, the image vanished. I shook my head. It was then that Mara turned up and looked at me with her dark emerald eyes.   
  
"Emma!" she jumped up and gave me a hug around the middle. My parents turned, watching. It was my mother that reacted first. She smiled at me, saying telepathically,  
  
'You look lovely, my darling. You look a lot like me when I was younger. But beware! I do think that a certain young man fancies you..'   
  
I blushed. 'You know about Jared??'  
  
My dad laughed aloud, and said, 'How could we not? We aren't idiots, after all. And he seems like a nice boy.'  
  
I smiled, happy that my parents approved, for some reason. I then grew puzzled and thought, 'Why do we talk silently instead of out loud? Mara will wonder..'  
  
My mother's face was grim. 'We gave.. thought to what you said earlier about your dreams. We decided it's best to hide these things from Mara. By the way, have you had any more lately?'  
  
Thoughts of the day vision swam before me. But I realized it was needless to worry them any more. 'No, not any more lately,' I thought, making them both relax. Mara looked up at me, all of this having gone by in seconds, her not noticing a thing except for father's laugh.   
  
"Daddy! Don't laugh at Emra's outfit! It looks pretty!" she scowled at him, her face still buried in my leg. My father smiled at mother, then exchanged a secret smile with me.   
  
"I wasn't laughing at her outfit. Just something I thought of. Now why don't you sit down and play with the new toy Miss Teka was nice enough to give you," he told her, and she sat down and proceeded to do just that.   
  
"Interesting object," I muttered aloud, as Mara looked at the cube, and shapes jumped out within it. "What is it?" I asked Teka, who had just entered the room.   
  
"It's a Jedi toy. Little children look within it and try to create shapes. Unfortunately, it only works on kids with strong telekinetic abilities. It took me a while to master it," she said, shaking her head. "Property of my mother's side of the family. Somewhere a while back there was a Halcyon in my ancestory. Lucky me."   
  
Hearing about strengths and weaknesses within Jedi clans made me wonder. "Are there any traits particular about the Jade clan?"  
  
She smiled, then said, "Well, for one thing, you guys will not have any problems in the telekinetics department. There have also been ancestors in your family that are very strange," she said, pondering. "I came across more than one case of visionary Jedi. It seems that it doesn't happen too often in males, but some females of the Jade clan have this ability to see glimpses of the future."   
  
Teka strided across the floor. "Other than that, the only thing that stands out about Jade is mind-speech, and that's not too uncommon a Jedi gift. Now me, I'm a pure electronic. What are you guys?"  
  
"Well," my father smiled, "sounds like you did your homework. And you mostly got it right. However, I'm better at mind speech than telekinetics."  
  
"I'm more of an energy person," stated my mother, and I turned. She never had revealed too much about her ancestory. "It's a common gift for Kindras."  
  
Teka nodded. "Yeah, heard about that family. Energy Absorbers and Transferers Anonymous. I'm guessing you're the only one left, eh?"  
  
My mother looked downward. "The Jedi hunters are ruthless. I haven't seen my brothers since I was a little child. I'm willing to bet I won't ever see them, either." She looked upward at me, and glanced at Mara, her eyes slits. I understood the message. Protect Mara at all costs.  
  
Solemnly, I turned to Teka and said, "I think I'm a visionary. I use some telekinetics and mind speech, but my foresighted vision is the strongest of my three gifts. But I'm useless when it comes to energy and such things that my mother excels in."  
  
"Hmm." Teka glanced at me. "I've not heard of too many visionaries within my life span. I've heard it said they only come within lines when there is danger. I hope this is not an omen."   
  
Just then, Jared stepped in. He'd changed his clothes from the drab grays he'd been wearing earlier to a royal burgandy jumpsuit with brown trim.   
  
"Well, are we ready to go?" he turned to Teka, blushing every time he glanced over at me. I nearly went red as I saw how the jumpsuit fit him perfectly, making his figure cut look like one a vid star might envy.   
  
She turned to him, her jaw rigid, serious, then broke out into a fully-fledged smile. "Let's get a move on, champ!" She grabbed a rucksack that had been lying on the floor beside the doorway to the room, and led us down a staircase to a small room that held a vehicle and a small fuel holder.   
  
Slowly, Teka pressed a block in the wall, causing a panel to appear and a track to unveil itself from underneath the vehicle. She slipped a white card into a slot on the machine, then punched in a sequence of codes that were quite extensive, and that if I should have to repeat on threat of death, I would not be able to reproduce.  
  
Lights screamed out from the car, lighting the small room from blackness into a cascading cube of light. The vehicle was revealed to be, in fact, a small train-like compartment hooked up by way of two cables, which seemed to be like a primative system of rail.   
  
Teka smiled back at me, my eyes a glitter with mixed wonder and curiousity. A hatch opened on the cart, pulling upwards against gravity to reveal an inside luxiurious enough to amaze a royal statuary. A large seat made of burgandy satin was pinned down inside, with spacious arrangements to seat perhaps a small army.   
  
"Well, here we go," my mother said, and stepped inside, Mara holding her hand the entire time. Then my father stepped in, alongside her. I peered all around before I entered, wary of any thing around me. But I had no reason to worry, as Jared lept in, Teka in tow. She helmed the controls, and suddenly, a bright light shone before us.   
  
It resembled that of the strange beauty of hyperspace, the dots drifting into lines. Then, just as soon as they'd entered the strange phenomenon, they reverted to normal time and space, a small tube enclosing them within the tunnel.   
  
Teka pressed a large red button inside the doors, opening to reveal a large crowd of people walking through streets of metal. She smiled at us and waved to a few passerby, exiting the craft.  
  
As I lowered my head to make sure not to bump it upon leaving, Teka grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the door, saying to me in a happy voice,   
  
"Welcome, Emra! Welcome to Jedisai, the last Jedi city in the known universe!"  
  
To be continued.. Please review.. 


	3. Unraveling Visions

Thanks! wow.. you guys are so nice! thanks! and keep reading & reviewing! ^_^  
  
My eyes seemed overwhelmed with the sights that overtook me. Hundreds of species gathered in the streets, all Force sensitive. A little boy looked at toys in a shop, all Jedi-made. I recognized the one Mara had been playing with earlier.   
  
"This is amazing," I managed to say upon arrival. My parents finally stepped out of the craft, followed by Mara and Jared. Mara ran up to me and attached herself to my leg, somewhat frightened by all the groups of people.   
  
Teka grinned. "Yeah, well, that's what most people say when they see it. If they see it," she managed to add, scratching the back of her head. "No one really knows that Jedisai is down here." She pointed towards the sky, and I was startled to see that the entire city was caved in, with artificial lights basking upon the entire city.  
  
"Where exactly are we, then, that no one can find it?" asked my father.   
  
"Can't you tell?" asked Teka, her eyes twinkling.   
  
Jared spoke up. "We're miles underneath the great Naku sea. The water helps dampen any traces of force abilities, and in any case, Gungan transport would be the only way to get down here. Except for the underground pathways."   
  
Teka pouted. "I wanted them to guess, Jared."  
  
"But I already knew the answer," said young Mara, her large eyes surveying the land with an open trust. "I can feel the water in the air!" She giggled and skipped around me, finally attatching herself to mother's leg.   
  
I glanced at Mother. Her eyes turned to slits. Perhaps someone here could help Mara to seem normal or perhaps even cover up her blossoming abilities. My red-haired sister blinked at me.  
  
Again, my vision swam. This time, a young lady of about my age stood beside my mother. The same girl, it seemed, from earlier, but aged. Already small lines formed around the edges of her dark green eyes. She now wore a small lopsided grin and stared at me with an intensity that never again I would hope to see.  
  
As quickly as the sight had come, it disappeared. I found Jared clutching my arm a bit. His expression was ragged and worried. "Are you well?" Teka stood beside him, her eyes searching.   
  
"It might be a good idea to introduce you to a friend of mine," she said aloud. She glanced back at the city, where a few jedi looked at us, interested. "He's gifted with visions. Or cursed. Depends on your point of view." Teka cocked her head to the side. "He may be able to help you discern what they mean."  
  
My father grasped my mother's shoulder and nodded once at Teka. "I.. We'd appreciate it. Emra," he said, turning to me. "These visions of yours, however small they may seem in significance, may prove important." He breathed quickly. "You had one just now, didn't you?"  
  
I nodded, and Jared put his arm around my shoulder, comforting. My cheeks flushed a bit, despite my best efforts to conceal my emotions. "Yes."  
  
"She'll be fine. Master Torros will help her," he said, sounding more sure than I felt. I looked up at him. So handsome.. If only..  
  
Mara pulled on my leg, dragging my attention away from Jared. "Em.. Em.. ra?" She pronounced, and I grinned. She'd finally said my name correctly.   
  
"Yes, sister?"   
  
"What's wrong with me?" She seemed worried beyond her tender years. It wore upon my heart to see her in such an angst-ridden state. Her eyes were large and innocent. I only hoped whatever my visions told me could keep her that way.   
  
I smiled. "Nothing's wrong with you," I said to her, running my finger through her auburn hair. I glanced up at Teka. "How soon can we see this friend of yours?"   
  
Teka looked up from a datapad she was working on. "I just sent her a message, via holonet, that we'd be down in a few minutes. Perhaps-" she glanced at my parents and Jared, "it might be best if she goes alone. Even in a Jedi city, there are spies."  
  
My parents nodded, and pried Mara away from me. She stared at me as I sidled over to Teka. Jared smiled, lopsidedly. A feeling came over me. A feeling of warmth and companionship- then it was gone. Was this the Force's doing?  
  
"We'll meet up with you guys later. Why don't you look in some of the stores? Or get a drink at the bar?" She grinned, then glanced at Mara. "I know she'd love the toy store."  
  
"Toy store?" Mara looked up at Mother and Father, who laughed.  
  
"Yes, love," said Mother to Mara. She looked straight into my eyes then, and sent me a message.   
  
'We'll meet you here in an hour. This place seems safe, but you can never be sure. Test the jedi of visions before you meet him. If he's untrustworthy, call us, and we'll be there in a minute.' I nodded, Teka returning to her datapad.   
  
"OK then! We'll meet you guys later!" she crowed, then grabbed my hand, leading me through Jedi city. Lights rushed by us as I tried to keep up with the technical genius. Aliens, humans.. After a while I could not distinguish. I looked up at her as we headed through the streets. A sort of glow surrounded her. I gazed in awe.  
  
She turned. "Yeah- I kinda forgot to tell your parents, but I'm also a speeder." She winked, and I laughed. "It's not exactly a Jedi gift that a lot of people can appreciate. Quick movement isn't exactly popular. Although, it's useful," she shrugged.   
  
Finally, we came to a stop, the glow seemingly ebbing away from her form. I gazed at an older shop crushed between two larger chains. Glancing at Teka, I headed towards the eerie-looking building.   
  
Statues crumbled around us as we walked towards the building. I looked about me and was a bit hesistant. No one seemed to be around. The street we'd come down was deserted, and no visual or Force aid could sense any Jedi being present.   
  
We came upon an old door to which seemingly no opening could be seen. Reaching out with the Force, I found it to be run by a switch- only able to be opened by the inside. Teka stood in front of the door, then called out a name:  
  
"Master Yaddle! It's Teka! I brought the Jedi you wished to talk to."   
  
A window opened on the door, and a visual scanner looked us over, much as the one at Teka's compound had. Its deep blue mechanical iris looked us over, then retreated without a sound.  
  
The door slid open with a snap-hiss, dust trailing through the creaks of the doorway. Emra opened up her sphere of awareness, keeping everything within five meters of her in check. Teka looked back at her semi-dejectedly.  
  
"What? Don't you trust me?" Suddenly, Emra felt Teka's reassuring presence in her mind. It was wierd to mindspeak with someone other than her family, and it felt strange to the blonde jedi.  
  
"Yes I do.. I've just never had someone other than family in my mind before.." Emra let down some of the barriers, knowing that they would perhaps hinder Teka in the search for whatever she needed. Her presence was not uncomfortable.. Emra allowed the red-haired jedi to put soothing thoughts into her brain, allowing her extra control over her shaking limbs.  
  
"You're welcome. And don't worry- Yaddle is extremely nice. Be forwarned, however. She speaks in riddles."   
  
Emra cocked her head slightly to the side, not understanding why anyone would do that.  
  
Teka laughed, the giggles echoing. "It's a trait of her species. There used to be another of her species named Yoda who was on the Jedi Council of the Old Order. If you think she's beriddling, you should've heard the the things I heard about this Yoda. He made the others of his species mad understanding him."  
  
She turned the corner, and grinned. "Well, we're here." A large door stood before them, a control resting on the left side. Teka pulled out a sort of passcard and swiped it through, and the doors opened.   
  
Emra's eyes turned to saucers. A highly ornate room opened before her, and sitting on a pillow about five meters away stood the tiniest sentient that she'd ever seen.  
  
"Welcome, you are! How be you, Teka?" The small being jumped off of her cushion, and walked slowly but calmly over to the pair. Emra could not say a word, just watching the small being moving was an astonishment in itself. She'd never seen such a small, physically mobile sentient.  
  
"I'm fine, Master Yaddle. This is Jedi Knight Emra, of the Jade clan. She is the one who needs help with her visions."  
  
Master Yaddle smiled benevolently, then made a motion towards two more cushions behind them. "Please, sit you will, no?"  
  
The young jedi knights complied. They sat and faced the jedi master, who, with one hand, brought over her own cushion, and sat facing them. She reached out with one hand to grasp Emra's in her own. Emra couldn't help but think how small it was..  
  
"Small, yes," said Master Yaddle, throwing Emra off guard for a moment. "Visions of your sister, I understand you've been having." She folded her hands and placed them back on her lap, staring kindly at the young jedi.  
  
Emra nodded slowly, then sighed. "I will look at her for a moment, and then an older girl- her, I assume, will appear near or beside her. It's happened several times. I also had a vision of an older lady.." The blonde jedi put one hand to her head. "I was knocked out for a moment, and a woman appeared before me. She said I'd protect my sister, and that I'd be a master one day."  
  
Teka's eyes grew wide. "What.. if you don't mind me asking..what did the woman look like?"  
  
The blonde jedi's eyes turned to slits, and she placed her head in her hands. "She was.. taller than I am. Redheaded. She had dark green eyes and a.. a calm about her. She really reminded me of my mother, oddly enough."  
  
Master Yaddle sighed for a moment, contemplating. Then she pulled her hands out of their meditative posture, and held them out to the young jedi. "Please, take my hands, Emra. Perhaps if I see this vision myself, much clearer it may become in its meaning."  
  
Emra slightly hesitated before letting herself grasp the Jedi Master's hands. When she finally had enough courage, she joined hands with the small female, then closed her eyes concentrating. She felt Master Yaddle's presence open itself up within her mind, spreading peace wherever it touched upon, like a warm blanket.  
  
The pictures started to flow through Emra's head, and she felt herself a bit dizzy as the Jedi Master whirled through them, whipping inside her mind from one image and situation to another. Then, almost as soon as she'd started her search, she stopped, and dropped her hands from the young Jedi Knight's.  
  
"Child, I have much empathy for thee," said the small Jedi Master. "There will be more to your future than you can know."  
  
"More? What do you mean?" Emra's eyes became wide.  
  
Master Yaddle just sat there and shook her head. "More things, many things, there are. Unfortunately, I do not see many things that could be changed in this future. Many things, there are. Help you, I will try, but I cannot see the path to follow."  
  
Emra sat there, stoically reviewing what the master had just said. "Then.. what am I to do?"  
  
"Follow your heart, is all I can say to you, child. Strong jedi, good, you are. Kindness, you have. You will do what is right." She gazed deeply into Emra's eyes.  
  
"I hope so, Master." Emra stood up, and bowed to the Jedi Master. How she could remain calm in times such as these was beyond her, but Emra was gladdened by the fact that she still was there.   
  
"You are welcome, Jedi Knight Kindra. May the Force be with you," she said, and then Teka grabbed Emra's arm and pulled her outside.   
  
As they went outside, Teka placed a device within her ear, and smiled for a second, then frowned deeply.  
  
"Emra?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I have some good and bad news. Which do you want?"  
  
"Both," Emra said, after a moment. Something dark was coming through in the force. "I feel something dark coming forth," she added.  
  
"I both felt and heard it from my computers. Emra, the good news is.. your parents and sister are somewhere safe for the moment."  
  
"And the bad news?" The Jedi Knight looked directly into the technology-affluent Jedi's eyes. "What is it?"  
  
Teka's eyes grew wide with fear.   
  
"Emra, I don't know how to tell you this- but the Emperor has arrived on Naboo."  
  
The blonde jedi looked to the sky, then looked at Teka. "Then it has begun.."  
  
(to be continued.. please review!) 


	4. Escaping the Empire

*bows* Sorry, sorry for not updating- I've been very, very busy, and I actually had a bout of writer's block on this story. *sighs* However, I am back- with a vengence!- to update this ficcy. I have taken up the reins once more on where I left off, so it should be updated more regularly. *^^*  
  
And now, onto the ficcy:  
  
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The dark presence smothered me in its very being. I glanced at Teka, and was relieved to see that I wasn't the only one being affected- and yet, that made me more afraid. I did a quick self-meditation and eased my fear into an ebbing inquisitiveness.  
  
"Okay, here's the plan," Teka said, grabbing for my hand once more. "We've had emergency plans just in case something like this would happen. Jared is taking your sister and parents through the underground system back to the safe haven. We have some cortorsis ore rooms that will hopefully keep them safe."  
  
"Cortorsis ore?" I asked, realizing that Teka was 'speeding' us along the pathways of Jedisai, flickerings of faces coming in and out of view as we traveled. "What good will that do?"  
  
"It's a rare element mined that has the ability to short-circuit lightsabers," the technician-Jedi replied as we went along our way. "Hopefully it will be a help in keeping them away from the emperor. We cannot risk them getting your little sister, especially. She's still too young to know fully the rights and wrongs of the Force. If the Emperor were to claim her... she could become the next Sith Lord."  
  
I shivered, then realized that Teka had stopped our rapid pace, as we were near one of the underground cars that we had arrived in.   
  
"Get in," she quickly told me, jumping in herself. I hopped inside, letting the door close behind me. I pulled myself into the co-pilot position taken care of by Jared earlier. Teka punched in coordinates, the ship responding by taking off a few milliseconds later. I suddenly felt the warmth of the Force surrounding us, and I turned to look at Teka, whose entire face was contorted in concentration.  
  
"You're speeding us?"  
  
"I'm really worried, Emra. The Emperor wasn't expected to come here for another six moon-cycles. For him to come this early can only mean that he either suspects that this city exists... or something has come up within the Imperial Senate that we don't know about."  
  
I bit a nail in agitation, trying to calm myself through the Force. This was not good. Images of the visions I'd had of Mara flew by my line of sight, imprinting themselves directly into my forebrain. Teka looked over at me, then back towards the tunnel she was navigating us through.  
  
"Don't worry. Yaddle said everything would be okay."  
  
"She did not say that at all, Teka," I replied, slightly short in my response. I bit my lip as I realized how harsh it had sounded.   
  
"I'm sorry. I should not be worried, but-"  
  
"It's okay. We'll get there soon, don't worry."  
  
I sat back in my co-pilot position and only hoped that Teka was right in telling me I didn't have to worry. My subconcious certainly was fighting against that feeling.  
  
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"Emra- Thank the Force!" My mother said as soon as she saw me enter the chamber in which she, my father, Mara, and Jared were sitting. I glanced at Mara, who was sitting down and playing with the toy Teka had given her earlier. It was in times of trouble like this that I envied my sister's naivity.  
  
She noticed my glance at Mara, and her eyes turned to slits. She looked back at my father, then nodded at me.  
  
"Emra-"  
  
"I know. Protect Mara at all costs."  
  
"Hopefully it won't come to that," Jared said, his hand already on his lightsaber at his side. "This is a pretty well-shielded area. Also, Mara isn't the only Jedi child here. The Emperor could be here on some Senate business for all we know."  
  
"But Mara is the only Jedi child here who is untrained and unknowing in her abilities," I pointed out to Jared. "Not to mention she's the product of two Jedi parents- something like that would not have been tolerated not that long ago."  
  
My father turned to me sharply. "Your mother and I couldn't help falling in love-"  
  
I turned, frothing with anger. "I understand that, father, but did you ever think how dangerous it might be to have a child with another Jedi? How tempting we might appear as targets? I've survived until this point in time intact thanks to the Force, but Mara's still untrained. And I'm fairly certain that we won't be able to get off this planet right now with the Emperor here-"  
  
"Not to mention that slave of his, Darth Vader," Teka pointed out. She intook a deep breath, then looked between the triangle of my mother, father, and myself. "Fighting about what's done isn't going to do us any good. I'm going to go check my holonet connections and find out if there's any way you can get off-planet right now."  
  
"Teka-" Jared started, "It'd be dangerous to check right now. At least down here we're offered some shielding from lightsabers, but-"  
  
"I have to find out, Jared," Teka said. "I'm not the only Jedi here in danger, in case you haven't noticed. If they can get off-planet, then perhaps some others can. Jedisai has already been evacuated."  
  
She looked towards the door of the compartment, then at a piece of gadgetry on her wrist. "Look. If I'm not back in ten minutes, I want you to evacuate out of here. Jared-" she started, looking at the handsome young man, "Take them through the back tunnels. I'm going to try and find out what I can... and shut down my connection to the Force."  
  
"But Teka-" I started.  
  
"Listen to me, Emra. I am nineteen standard years old, and a fully-trained Jedi. I can take care of myself. You have a family to worry about- something that I consider precious, as there are too few of either Jedi or complete families left thanks to the Empire."  
  
"Teka-"   
  
"Take care of them, Emra. Jared," she said, turning to the boy, "Don't let me down. Take care of her."  
  
"I will," he promised, and the red-haired girl nodded, striding outside the room, then closing the door behind her.   
  
(The Force will be with you, Emra Jade,) I heard a voice speak mind-to-mind as the door shut in front of me. I gritted my teeth and looked down towards the ground, balling my hands into fists. It was only then that I noticed how out of control I'd let my emotions become. I sat on the ground, watching Mara.  
  
The little redhead was still playing with her toy, smiling as she did. The Jedi toy allowed one to create images through the golden sand that filled it. I smiled and watched Mara, calming myself through the Force as I watched the shapes that she created.  
  
Flowers, their petals shimmering with dewdrops. Our family's ship. Mother's face. Father's. I watched the images shift back and forth as my sister played with the sand inside the plexiglass sphere. Breathing deeply, I monitored my stress levels until they came to a bare minimum, all signs of my angry activity dissipated.  
  
I smiled, looking at the pictures Mara created. Suddenly one of them seemed to grab my attention directly, not like the others.  
  
"Mara, what's that?" I queried of my sister.  
  
"It's-" suddenly the floor seemed to drop from beneathe me as another vision caught ahold of me by the navel and forcing me into it. Instead of Mara sitting beside me with the Jedi toy, the auburn-haired woman from my vision on the ship stood in front of me, playing with the toy instead.  
  
"Who-who are you?" I asked her, my eyes wide.  
  
She remained silent for a second, then turned to look at me, kneeling slightly.  
  
"Emra, I have told you that you will protect your sister and make sure she does not fall to the dark side. However, are you prepared for the cost which it will require?"  
  
"What- what do you mean?" I asked, standing up. The woman looked down at the toy once more, then back up at me.   
  
"You said you'd protect your sister at any cost. But what if that cost is a higher price than anyone should have to pay?"  
  
"You mean my life?" I asked the woman. She didn't respond with words, but merely standed up to face me. I noticed that while the woman may have been healthy, which I had noticed earlier, her face was full of stress and worry. I held my chin up high. "I am not afraid of death."  
  
"What if the price was not your life, but another's?"  
  
"What do you mean?" I queried, my eyes wide with slight fear.  
  
"You will save her from darkness, but the price will not be your own life. It will be your family's, as well as your love's."  
  
"My family...?" I felt weak in the knees, and I knelt down once more. The woman looked down at me. "My... mother and father...? My love's? You mean- Jared?"  
  
She didn't answer, instead staring down at me.  
  
"I have to sacrifice them so that my sister can live? What do I have to do, kill them? I'm not going to kill my own parents!"  
  
The woman looked down at me. "Are you prepared to pay the price?"  
  
"Just tell me- do I have to kill them?"  
  
The woman looked off into the distance, then shook her head in a no. "You will not have to kill your own parents and love, no. However, you will be forced to make a decision that will rip you in two."  
  
"What-"  
  
"Now you must go. May the Force be with you, Emra," the woman said, kneeling down and kissing me on the cheek. I noticed that as she did, there were tears in her eyes.   
  
"May the Force be with you, sister..."  
  
I blinked, and noticed that Mara was sitting beside me, kissing me on the cheek as she huddled against my side. Mother and Father looked down at me, their expressions worried.  
  
"Emra-" My mother started, kneeling beside me, her cheeks wet. She knelt down and hugged me, and I stared blankly at her.  
  
"Mother, what-"  
  
"Emra, you're-you're all right?" Jared asked, standing near the doorway, looking at it with all his self-control. His chin trembled as he spoke.  
  
"Yes, but-"  
  
"We thought we'd lost you," Father started, keeling down beside mother and embracing me. "Neither your mother or I could feel your presence in the Force, and you-you'd stopped breathing-"  
  
"I am fine," I whispered, then stopped short when I remembered the woman's last words to me.   
  
'May the Force be with you, sister...'  
  
I shot up, my breathing quickening as I stood. My mother and father looked at me as I realized the message that the woman had been trying to tell me. Mother- Father- Jared... I looked around the room at each of them.   
  
"Emra?" My father asked me. "Are you-"  
  
I glanced down at Mara, a memory of my vision superimposing itself against her small cherubic face. The red hair, the green eyes... I placed my hand against my lips. It had been her, all this time. All the visions, all the sights... The vision of the green eyed girl with the dark cloak that enveloped around her person came back to me, and I stopped short.  
  
If I was to prevent her from falling to the darkside, why was she... I intook a deep breath. What did it all mean.  
  
"Sith you, sister," I whispered. My mother gasped.  
  
"What did you say to Mara?"  
  
"Not the Mara we know, mother. I have finally figured out what all these visions I've been having have meant. Mara- Mara's survival is paramount to everything else. But..." I bit my lip, not wanting to tell my parents what the latest vision had told me.   
  
"But?"  
  
"But we have to leave now, if everything is going to be okay."  
  
"Teka's still got five minutes," Jared responded from the doorway. "She's fine. She must have had some difficulty getting onto the holonet."  
  
"Did you hear me? We have to leave now!" I nearly screamed at Jared, my eyes becoming slightly wet. "I don't want to lose-" I stopped short, my hands balling into fists. "I don't want to-"  
  
"Emra?" Jared said, stopping short and coming over towards me. "Emra, what's the matter? Emra!"  
  
I pressed myself against his warm body, weeping into his jumpsuit. My parents looked at each other, clearly shocked by this outburst of emotion.  
  
(Emra...?) my mother asked me telepathically. I continued to cry into Jared's shirt. I ignored her plea for an answer, my heart feeling as though it would burst.  
  
"Emra, daughter, what is i-" My father started, only to be cut short. A sharp pain coarsed through my body, its angry energies feeling like a blade that was slicing me open head to toe. I fell into Jared's arms, one of his hands holding me while the other went directly to his forehead.  
  
"Teka-" My mother whispered. My eyes grew wide as I realized where the energy had originated through the Force. I suddenly fought in Jared's embrace, the Jedi having enough common sense at the minute to hold me back.  
  
"TEKA!!!" I yelled, feeling the energy ebb away into nothingness. Suddenly, a message came into my mind.  
  
(Run.)  
  
"Let's get out of here," my Father whispered hoarsely. He picked up my sister, my mother following him. Not bothering to cover up his presence at this point, he used the Force to rip the door from its hinges, carrying Mara with him as he ran.   
  
"Let me go!" I yelled through tears towards Jared, who was currently holding me back from going towards where Teka's last energy signature in the Force had been. I fought him, trying to wriggle out of his grasp, finally giving up and weeping against him.  
  
"Teka-" I whimpered, and I suddenly felt a pressure underneath my chin. I looked up to see Jared looking at me, a mixture of sadness and happiness in his eyes.  
  
"Emra-" he whispered, then leaned down and gave me a kiss on the lips. I struggled at first, then melted into his mouth's embrace, kissing back with a heart-felt passion. We finally separated eons later, looking into each other's eyes.  
  
"Jared."  
  
He looked down at me and hugged me close to him. Suddenly I felt a tug at my shoulder, and turned to see my mother, father, and Mara behind me.   
  
"Jared, we have to get moving, and only you know the pathways through the tunnels."  
  
"I understand." Kissing me on the forehead, he took his hand in mine, and pointed towards the right, where a crumbling shaft lay before us. My father and mother nodded, and we all turn and fled down the tunnel, Jared leading the way.  
  
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Please R&R!! This story is nearly complete now- the next chapter will be the final one, and then there will be an epilogue. ^_^ 


	5. Losing Everything

A/N: Well, this is the final 'chapter', per say. An epilogue will most likely follow, considering the ending of this fic. Which you will have to see what it is... As always, please R&R... This fic was one of my first, and I'm happy to see it nearly finished. :)  
  
May the Force be with You...  
  
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I can't say how long we ran down that hallway, Jared pulling me more than I was running. Finally I pushed away the deep stab of grief that followed Teka's death and instead ran with all the heart I still had intact.  
  
"Hurry!" I heard my father call to me. We'd made it approximately halfway to the hangar where our ship was kept. Things were looking good so far... now if only we could get out of here without any of my future sister's prophecies coming true-  
  
"Emra-" The warning from my mother came just as quickly as my Force senses had gone off. I pulled my lightsaber from my waist and activated it, the emerald-colored blade escaping the hilt in seconds. I turned about, facing the way we'd come. Jared was already at my side, a faint blue light shining on his face.   
  
Mother and Father were also standing ready, both of them holding blades ready. A turquoise light shone across my mother's visage, while a deep green shone upon my father's, a tribute to the Jade family tradition.   
  
Jared looked around, then pointed to the right. "Here- this is a shortcut to the hangar!"   
  
"Does it go through anything dangerous?" My mother asked before we turned towards the suggested direction. I opened my sphere of responsibility towards my surroundings, praying that nothing would fall before us on our way to safety.   
  
"Just to an underground carbonite facility. Nothing to worry about," Jared said, and my mother nodded. We all ran towards the right, Father extinguishing his lightsaber blade so that he could run at the same pace as the rest of us and still shoulder Mara. I felt my surroundings through the Force as I darted foward, keeping the back of our little traveling group safe.  
  
We continued to run, pushing ourselves faster with the force. To the untrained eye, we might have looked like blurs- colors rushing past the darkness. Jared continued to hold my hand through it all, and I think if it had not been for his unwavering strength, I would have fallen back among the darkness.  
  
I don't know how long we sped along, but we finally managed to get to the carbonization chamber that Jared had told us about. Being near the point of exhaustion, all of us stopped. Father set Mara down, his entire being sweating and heaving, drained of energy. Mother sat down on one of the nearby metal stairs, going into a meditative stance at once.   
  
"Jared-" I whispered, feeling faint. I reached out for his cloak, and he smiled gently, laying me down on a nearby stair. He kissed me on the forehead and glanced at my parents.   
  
"We should be safe enough here for a few moments. Replenish your energy quickly- the sooner we get off-planetside, the better."  
  
"Understood," my father said, going over to his wife and placing an arm about her shoulder. Mara stared at all of us, not understanding.  
  
"Why... why are we running?" she asked me, waddling over to where I lay. I reached out with my right hand and I stroked her cheek gently. She had tears forming in her small green eyes. I blinked, realizing she was scared.   
  
"Mara, what's wrong?"  
  
The tears started to well. "There's- there's this dark spot that's in my head. It keeps following me," she said, and she started to cry. Mother was beyond noticing, her energies currently focused on replenishing her energies. I pulled Mara close to me, and I sat up, hugging her.   
  
"This dark spot- is it close?"  
  
She sniffled. "It's coming here."  
  
My eyes grew wide, and I gave Mara a gentle hug. I reached out through the Force, and let myself fall into her mind.   
  
I saw her spark, her essence, the thing that made my sister Mara. Its green energies were as vibrant as any young one's, sparkling through the recesses of her mind. As beautiful as her emerald spark was, however, I saw threads of darkness that came to try and claim her shine. They enveloped her, slowly trying to smother her spark.   
  
I reached into my inner self, finding my connection with the Force. At the moment, it was heavily maximized, being that I had been relying on it to push myself faster through the maze of underground Naboo. I pulled with all my spirit, all my soul, on that spark that connected me to all that was around me.   
  
Containing it with all my concentration, I allowed the energy to settle into Mara, creating a cocoon about her lifespark. I wove the threads around her, reinforcing her Force channels with my own energy. Through this, I wove my own essence, making her small channels resistant to the Dark side.   
  
Once I started, I couldn't stop- I was somehow driven to continue my efforts, pouring my being into saving Mara against the Dark forces. Finally, I stepped back from my handiwork.  
  
It was airtight. Mara's Force channels could never be corrupted- and even if... even if the Emperor should get ahold of her, God forbid- even if Vader used her for her whims and somehow turned my sister to use the Dark side of the Force- she, Mara, herself... would never truly be turned. Her spirit would be too much absorbed in the Light side for that to happen- so even if she tried to use the Dark side, it would never lay its mark upon her spark.  
  
Mara would be safe no matter what.   
  
I felt myself fading from the present time, my energies nearly spent. Mara's green eyes widened further, and she started to cry.  
  
"Em-Emra!" she cried, saying my name correctly for the first time ever. Her green eyes started to become blurry, and I felt myself falling to the ground. A pair of strong, masculine hands held me before I hit my head on the metallic floor.   
  
"EMRA!" Jared's scream permeated my slowly dwindling conciousness. I looked up into his face, and placed my palm onto his cheek.   
  
"I- love- you..."   
  
I faded from conciousness seconds later.  
  
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"Emra!" Sapri's eyes widened as her concentration on replenishing her energies was interrupted by her elder daughter's fading from the present.   
  
Geo was already at his daughter's side, where both Mara and Jared lay by her, Jared holding her in his young arms. The elder Jedi's eyes were wide, and he looked at Jared as he placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder.   
  
"What- what did she- why-"  
  
"She made the dark spot go away," Mara said, looking into her father's eyes. Geo turned to his younger offspring, and gave her a quizzical glance.   
  
"What- what do you mean, Mara?"  
  
By this time, Sapri had come beside her husband and the others. She gathered her younger daughter into her arms and held her close to her bosom. She used some of her newly-replenished Force reserves to see into her daughter's spirit, trying to find out what the young girl was speaking of.  
  
What she saw made her gasp in shock.  
  
The strength and channelization of Mara's premature Force channels had been reinforced to the point of a Jedi Master's. Mara's light green spark stood in the middle of the channels, surrounded by a cocoon of Light-sided Force energy. Sapri looked at her unconcious daughter, then back at little Mara.   
  
"Geo..." she whispered, looking at Mara, who stared back with wide green eyes. Her husband looked towards his other daughter, then inspected her just as his wife had. He gasped.  
  
"How...?"  
  
"Energy transference. Geo, she was more like my family than we knew- she transferred all her Force energy into Mara to protect her- Mara will never fall completely to the Dark side. Ever. Her soul will always be protected from becoming that of a Sith Lord's."  
  
"I thought only Masters could do that."  
  
"Emra..." Sapri said, her eyes wide. "Emra, why now...? Why did you do this now?"  
  
"She wanted to protect her sister," Jared said, pulling his love closer to him, against his chest. "She wanted to make sure that nothing ever happened, in case..."  
  
"Those visions- Mara falling completely to the Dark side- Emra wanted to stop it from happening-" Geo said, looking at his hands. He swallowed a lump in his throat, then closed his eyes, concentrating. "She's alive. Barely, but alive."  
  
"I can't imagine how much energy that took," Sapri stated to Geo, then pulled Mara closer to her, tears starting to form in her eyes. She then opened them, and placed Mara in front of her. "I don't think you'll understand now, Mara... but your sister has given you a wonderous gift. Something that I have rarely seen."  
  
"Gift?" Mara asked, tilting her head.   
  
"Yes, my daughter, a gift," Geo said, smiling as Jared scooped Emra into his arms, prepared to carry her the rest of the way. He stood up, and took Mara from her mother's arms and placed her into his own. He smiled with his twinkling green eyes. "A wonderous gift, my daughter. One that I hope you never truly have to discover why it is in place."  
  
With that, he gave a sharp nod to both his wife and Jared, and the three Jedi headed towards the exit of the carbonization plant. Jared pointed towards the north, where a small amount of natural light could be seen.   
  
"That way. The hanger's only about one hundred meters away from there."   
  
"Gotcha." Geo fronted the group, followed by Jared, and Sapri took her daughter's place in the rear.   
  
As they headed towards the exit, Geo held up his hand, and they stopped behind him. He placed Mara gently on the ground, then gave the others a sign to stay quiet.   
  
The Jedi pulled his lightsaber off of his belt, and held it before him. A few seconds later, he allowed the blade to escape the hilt, resulting in an eerie green light that reflected off the walls. His eyes turned to slits as he heightened his senses with the Force.   
  
Suddenly, his expressionless face became one of an exasperated nature. He turned back to Jared and Sapri, motioning for them to put Mara and Emra down for the moment. Both of them did as motioned, then ignited their own lightsabers, the walls becoming lit with the glowing blades' light.   
  
Sapri looked sidelong at her husband. "How many?"  
  
"I don't know. I think there's about ten or so."  
  
"Three each?" Jared asked.   
  
"Sounds good to me. We'll share the last one."  
  
"Okay."  
  
The three Jedi rushed into the opening of the doorway, moving like liquids through the Imperial army guards' defenses. One downward slice, another spiraled twist... the guards stood no chance in hades, being dealt with quickly. However, as soon as the first ten disappeared, another group appeared.  
  
"What?" Geo asked, his eyes widening in disbelief.  
  
"There's someone else here..." Sapri said, her eyes searching. She kept her guard up, and realized at the last moment that her daughter Emra was trying to regain conciousness.   
  
"Shavit. Geo-"   
  
"On it." The blonde Jedi Knight ran inside towards the carbonization chamber, looking for his older daughter. When he finally came upon the sight before him, it pulled at his heartstrings.   
  
Emra was crawling on her hands and knees, trying to protect Mara.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
I don't know how long I was unconcious. All I knew is that as soon as I awoke, I felt the darkness threatening to crush my spirit into oblivion. My Force reserves were completely shot, and I had barely any regular energy left. But still one thing remained.  
  
Mara.  
  
The Darkness was coming closer, now. It was almost upon us. I may have used all my force reserves, but I was not going to give up without a fight. If they were going to take Mara, then...  
  
Then I was going to perform a last strike.  
  
My father had told me about it once- that sometimes a Jedi could come back as a spirit to help others when they needed it- if they had other business to attend to after they had passed on into the Force. If- if there was no other way to protect her, then I would meditate now... meditate until I was ready to become one with the Force.  
  
I crawled next to her, although my body fought my every intention of fighting me. My legs were like carbonite themselves, hard to move. My arms... my arms were not as heavy, and more moveable. So I used them for most of my support.   
  
"M-Mara..." I whispered. MY little sister looked at me with her emerald eyes and blinked. I crawled in front of her and collapsed, using what little I had left to collect my thoughts in preparation for the final journey.  
  
"Emra!"   
  
A voice called to me, and I looked up with my heavily tired eyes to see another set of green eyes peering down into mine.  
  
"F-Father?"  
  
"Emra. Good, you're awake. Watch your sister. Things have gotten a little heated up at the moment." He looked back from where he'd come, and sighed. "We've been discovered. I don't know if it's just us that have been found, but I wouldn't hesitate to say that we aren't." He stood up, then looked back to where he'd come once more.  
  
"I've got to go. But I'll be back. Stay safe."  
  
He left us there, and I heard him bring his lightsaber back to life with a quick click. I closed my eyes and breathed in and out, keeping my attentions to just staying alive.   
  
Suddenly, a shriek ran through both my mind and my ears, and I screamed along with it.  
  
"MOTHER!"  
  
Seconds later, a half-stumbling Sapri Jade dragged herself through the nearby doorway. Tears streamed down my face, and I reached out with my hand towards her.   
  
"E-Emra... Mara..."   
  
She collapsed in front of me, holding out her hands. I looked down and saw her bleeding side, and gulped. She took her right hand into her own, and Mara's into her left.  
  
"Don't- don't worry, my daughters-" she started, and I held back tears that were threatening to fall. Mara blinked, not understanding exactly what was going on. "You will be fine. I'm going for a little while," she explained to my sister, "But I'll be with you in your heart. I- love- you-"  
  
Suddenly her eyes closed, and I felt the darkness grow nearer, and her spark dim further.   
  
"No- no- No, you can't be- MOTHER, YOU CAN'T BE! NO! MOTHER!"   
  
I started to cry, my emotions overcoming my Jedi training. Mara blinked, then tightened her grip onto Mother's hand. Minutes later, I was bombarded by another flare in the Force.  
  
Father.   
  
'Sapri- I- I'm coming"  
  
My soul felt raped as the Force raced through my veins, letting me know through its screams that he had been stolen from me. Mara, although untrained, suddenly realized that something was going on between my screams.  
  
I felt my Father's life force drain from his body, felt his spirit ripped away from his form. My father, my stronghold- the pillar that held my mother together, that bore my Jedi weaknesses... My father. My father that now pressed all his remaining strength into my body before fading from everything.  
  
"NO!" I yelled at the darkness, tears racing down my face. I breathed heavily, my breaths coming shallow and shortly into my lungs. Mara looked down at my blotched face and her eyes widened. I could not hold back my emotions, however, and a few spilled into her through what connection I had with her.  
  
"Mo-Momma? Papa?" She put her small palms against her face, and her green eyes widened. I watched as she passed out, too shocked to handle the information that I had leaked.   
  
She was only four years old.  
  
Only four years old, and parentless.  
  
She wasn't the only one, but damn it, she was MY sister. And my sister was never to be hurt.   
  
Then again, I'd once said the same thing about my parents.  
  
I felt my limbs strengthen, and I cried at my father's last gift to me. Gritting my teeth together, I pushed myself off the floor, my arms screaming against my actions. However, now was not the time to be complaining of my emotional and physical turmoil.  
  
Now was the time for...   
  
No. Not the dark side. I must not- not revenge. Mara-  
  
I felt a pair of strong arms encircling me, and I looked behind me to see Jared's shining visage. There were tears in my eyes, and I felt as though my heart might burst from the pressure that was being applied to my heart. He leaned forward into me and gave me a kiss. It was a kiss of passion, of heat, of heartfelt pain that scorched through both of us and into our lips' embrace.   
  
"Emra-"  
  
"Jared, my- my mother, my father- did- can we get out of here?"  
  
"Shhh," he whispered, placing a finger onto my lips. I looked into his eyes, and I felt myself being embraced by something stronger than I could describe with words- love infinate, joy pure- something that held me in its empathetic arms and let me cry to my soul's content.   
  
Moments later, I felt myself being pulled by his hand to the middle of the carbonization chamber. I blinked, and looked at Jared in question.   
  
"Wha-"  
  
"Your father's final request. And my-" he looked down, his face contorted in a painful expression, "My final gift of love to you, dear Emra. Don't cry," he said, placing his hand on the right side of my face. "Don't cry, my dear Emra. We'll meet again."  
  
"Wait- wha- what do you mean?" I paused, my thoughts becoming dangerously clear.  
  
He leaned forward and gave me a deep kiss, pushing my body against the one part of a nearby railing, finally forcing my body into a nearby ring. He smiled at me sadly, then pressed a button beside him.   
  
"Jared, what are you doing?" I screamed, as I realized exactly what he was trying to do- what he'd lured me into doing.   
  
I was going to be frozen in carbonite.   
  
"No- Mara-" I yelled, my thoughts running in more and more frantic directions as the steam started to surround me.   
  
"I'll take care of her. You see," he said, removing his free hand from his stomach, revealing a deep wound that bled freely, "I'll give her all the strength I have left. And you did something amazing for her. Don't worry, my love, Mara will be safe." He paused a moment, then grinned sadly. "And so will you."  
  
"NO!" I screamed, as the circle around me started to rise about me, turning into a pair of stone walls on either side of me. My eyes widened, and I looked for an exit, but there was none. I looked towards where my sister lay, and curled my hands into fists, hanging my head downward.   
  
"Don't worry, Emra. You already saved her. She can never really fall to the darkside. And-" Jared paused once more before turning to walk towards Mara, "you saved me. Before I met you, I was an empty man. But now... now I can die happy. Who knows?" He asked, my ears being the only thing being able to sense him, the walls crushing around me.   
  
"Maybe we'll meet again one day."  
  
That was the last thing I heard before the cold liquid carbon wrapped itself around my sides, weaving their ribbons about my body. I started to cry as it began to envelope me.   
  
It wasn't supposed to be this way. Mother and Father weren't supposed to die- Jared- Jared wasn't supposed to die- and Mara-  
  
Mara was going to be taken by them.  
  
I could only pray that what I had done would be enough. Even if she were to be dipped into the Dark side, even if all she learned from now on were the Dark Arts... her soul would still be pure.   
  
Or so I hoped.  
  
The liquid carbonate rose about me, finally at my neck. I closed my eyes, and admitted defeat, all my hopes silenced by the growing darkness. As the Dark side rose around myself, as I heard them run into the room, I lowered my head.   
  
My last thoughts before I stopped, before my heart silenced completely, were of Mara.   
  
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Epilogue upcoming soon! Please R&R! 


	6. Epilogue: Awakening Dream

A/N: Thanks so much to those of you who reviewed this-this was one of my first fics, and I feel very accomplished in completing it. I hope you enjoyed it! ^^  
  
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"Are you sure it's okay to come in here?" She asked him, her eyes slightly calculating. "It doesn't look too stable."  
  
"Don't worry," the sandy haired man accompanying her smiled. "The team already scouted it out- and if we're closed in... well," He smiled, and leaned in for a kiss, "we could always find the privacy... a good thing..."  
  
"Skywalker, you are such a pain in my ass, you know that?"  
  
"I love you too, darling," her husband smiled, then nodded towards the chambers. "Well? Shall we?"  
  
She paused for a minute, and shook her head as her husband nearly pleaded with her, his eyes as round and innocent as he could make them. She pushed him playfully, then mock-bowed to her husband. "Fine, fine, let's go. I can't fight you; you're in my head too much, and you might leave some damage."  
  
"That's my beautiful wife," Skywalker teased back, pulling her into the rubble with a free hand. She rolled her green eyes and followed, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.   
  
The two entered the cavernous enclosure, the blonde man smiling as he inspected the walls about them. He let go of his wife's hand and felt the surroundings about him through the Force. He turned slightly, a look of confusion on his face.   
  
"Do you feel that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. The woman raised her sphere of responsibility, then shook her head slightly, acknowledging that something was off.   
  
"I don't know what exactly it is," She answered Skywalker, and she shook her head in confusion. "It's something vague... something that I can't exactly describe."   
  
The man opened his own sphere of responsibility, reaching for the thing that he was in search of. He closed his eyes, devoting his full skills as a Master to finding the vague spot that the Force centered itself around.   
  
"It's... it's nearby," the woman said, opening her own senses to feel what was around her. She finally stopped at the same time that her husband did, heading towards an old pile of rocks.  
  
"Right here," he agreed, and nodded. He nodded towards the pile of rocks, and some of their members started to rise from the ground. The female took a more direct route, and kneeled down to remove the smaller rocks from the source that told them something important resided here.  
  
"What's this?" she asked, finally beginning to see what appeared to be a sheet of metal, broken by unclear bumps and crevices. Her husband stopped moving the last of the rocks, and proceeded to kneel beside her, helping her brush aside the dust and rock fragments.  
  
"It looks like... no," the man named Skywalker gasped, and he began to brush away the stone fragments faster.   
  
"What is it?"  
  
"This- it reminds me of something a while ago- doesn't this place look like some sort of... carbonization plant?"  
  
"Yes, it does," his wife exclaimed, standing up and inspecting the walls. "It reminds me of something..." she brushed her hands against the walls, tracing the outlines of old machines and inventions. "Something from long ago... maybe something from when I was...?"  
  
"It's possible," he responded, continuing the work they'd both started on. "In any case, I'm glad we came here first rather than the scout team. If my hunch is correct, then I think we'll find something they may not know how to handle."  
  
"And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked, turning.  
  
"Just the fact that I can feel something tugging at the recesses of your mind. And that a very... familiar Force signature is coming from this-" he pointed. His labors now finished, the sheet of metal's bumps and ridges were now revealed to be in a pattern of that of a young girl's face.   
  
"Oh my God-" His wife said, running over quickly to join him. "It's... someone's been frozen in carbonite- but... but how could... are they still alive?"  
  
"I'm still reading something through the Force," the man called Skywalker said, looking at the metallic slab's side, where apparently some controls still functioned. "I don't know how, but whoever's inside is still alive."  
  
"Still... alive?" the woman asked, her thoughts running towards something long forgotten. She inspected the front of the carbonate slab, tracing the vague outlines of the person inside.   
  
"What's the matter?" Skywalker asked. His wife didn't answer him, however, and she continued to inspect the carbonate slab that laid before her.   
  
"I- I remember this- somehow, this all seems familiar..."  
  
"What? The place or the person in this slab?"  
  
"Both."  
  
"Well, why don't we wake our sleeping beauty here and find out?" The man with blue eyes asked his wife. She nodded, and he went about the task of finding the controls to the slate of carbonate. He finally saw them on the side, and whistled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"If I'm not mistaken, this is very ancient technology. The Force must have been the only thing keeping her alive- most people die from being frozen in carbonate. And this technology- I haven't seen this kind of technology since... I don't remember exactly when," he said, turning to look at her.  
  
"However, just because something's old-" he muttered, and gave off waves of justified happiness. Lights started to flash on the sides of the gray slate, and he smiled. "-doesn't mean that it's a bad thing. Whew- Got it."  
  
The woman watched as the metallic-colored finish started to slowly burn away from the form that was laying in the carbonate.   
  
"Who is she?" She whispered to herself, biting slightly on a knuckle as she watched the silver be eaten away from the girl's body, which was now clearly enough seen to be determined that she was not a girl, but an adolescent.   
  
"Almost there," the man whispered, watching the percentage on the side of the carbonate slab go higher and higher.   
  
The trails of silver finally flushed themselves away completely from her body, and her face began to emerge from the silver-colored slab. The woman knelt down and watched as the trails extracted themselves, leaving warm-colored flesh behind.   
  
"She's beautiful," she whispered, reaching out and touching the girl gently on a newly-risen cheek. Blonde tresses started to be revealed, laid about the sides of her head. The man called Skywalker reached out and touched the teen's freed left hand, and closed his eyes, reaching out through the Force.  
  
"She's still alive. Good. I'm going to try and revive her. Keep her steady."  
  
"Right."  
  
A warm brush of energy spun from his fingertips into the girl's body, enveloping her being and revitalizing her long-dormant body. The woman watched, her mind still searching for a memory of this place, or this young woman.  
  
Finally, life began to arise within the limbs of the teenager, and a set of blue eyes opened in response to the Force- driven nudge. She blinked, once, twice.  
  
She then tried to stand up, but failed; her limbs were too tired from their years of frozen stagnation. The woman tried her best to hold the girl down, but it was to no avail, so determined was her spirit to rise again. She appeared blind, however, for she reached out with her hands to try and find her bearings.  
  
The blonde caught ahold of the woman's arm as she was trying to help the girl up. Skywalker kneeled beside her and also put his own arm about the girl, trying to calm her. However, her spirit was uneasy, and she fought against the comforts, blindily thrashing in their embrace.   
  
She tried to clear her throat, in vain trying to awaken her long-stagnant vocal chords. However, her energy was ill spent, as she passed out not long after muttering her one thought of the moment.  
  
"Mara-!"  
  
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I awoke to the sounds of chirping noises coming from around me. My vision was still not clear, but if I focused enough, I noticed that there were great masses of green surrounding me. I intook a deep breath, my body feeling as though it weighed of cortorsis ore with every breath I took.   
  
Focusing on the Force, I renewed myself, thankful that somehow my reserves had been replenished. Suddenly, something occured to me as I stoicly refreshed myself. Jared. Mara. Mother- Father- Teka-  
  
I clutched my arms to my sides, uncertain of where I was. Looking around me, I saw no signs of the carbonization chambers around me.   
  
"Where am I?" I whispered breathlessly, my fear overcoming everything else. I sat up slowly, drawing on my Force connection to give me strength. I used it further to clear my blurry vision, giving me the normal sight I'd once had.   
  
I was surrounded by healthy foilage that was without blemish or scar, patterned with white flowers. Breathing deeply, I smelled the scent of dew resting on the flowers, and the moisture that hung in the air.   
  
"Where... where am I?" I whispered again to my silent-responding surroundings, praying that I somehow would recieve an answer from the quiet foilage. My ears picked up something, however, instead of silence, and I reached for my lightsaber, cautious.  
  
"It's okay," the person standing in front of me said, holding up his hands in a defensive gesture. I released my grip from my lightsaber, feeling no ill will coming from his Force signature. I watched him very carefully, however, as he came towards me, and sat down before me.   
  
"It's okay," he reassured, crossing his legs and taking a critical eye to me. "Don't worry, we won't hurt you. We were scouting out this planet when we found you here."  
  
"We?"   
  
"My wife and I," the man said. He nodded towards an enclosure of greenery that revealed a large silver mound, a ship to be exact. "She's around somewhere- although I think that seeing you has had quite an effect on her."  
  
"What do you mean?" I asked, my eyes slitted.  
  
"Well..." he said, pondering. His expression clearly showed that he was torn between telling me and not. He decided on the former. "Well, my wife had a reaction to seeing you, and right now she's trying to decide exactly why. You see," he explained, "she hasn't exactly had a good life, and she's afraid that she may have had something to do with finding you in that carbonate."  
  
"But how could she have something to do with me being in that carbonate- it was... it was..." Everything came back to me, and I placed my head in my hands, and I began to weep. Jared. He'd shut me into that carbonate slab so that I would have a chance to live, so that I would have some semblance of a future... but now I would never see him, or anyone I ever loved, ever again.  
  
The man seemed to understand, coming closer to me and placing an arm around my shoulder.   
  
"It wasn't any woman that did it- it was my love," I wept. "Jared. He- he did it so that I couldn't be taken by the Empire, and so I could live-"  
  
"The Empire?" His eyebrows became furrowed for a minute, and then he smiled at me. "The Empire's been dead for almost twenty-five years now. There's nothing more for you to fear. Do you know what the date was whenever you were-"  
  
"Let me think," I said, and I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears. "About six years after the initialization of the Empire. I apologize for showing emotion like this, I just-"  
  
"You've been frozen for that long...?" He asked, his blue eyes wide. He appeared thoughtful for a moment, then turned his head, as if he was talking to someone through the Force. The Jedi, for that is what I thought he was by now, turned and looked at me straight in the eyes. "When we first woke you... the word you said was, 'Mara'. Does that have any sort of significance?"  
  
"That's what I said?" I queried, then looked down, emotions threatening to overcome all of my judgement. "She- she was my little sister. I don't know what happened to her. What- what year is it? How much time has passed?"  
  
He looked down, and I felt him putting dates together. He sighed inwardly, then turned and looked straight into my eyes.   
  
"It's been about thirty seven years, if my math's correct," he said, thinking. What's your name, little one?"  
  
Ignoring the 'little one' comment, I sniffled, then opened my mouth to speak. "Emra-"  
  
"Jade," another voice finished, and I looked up to behold a woman out of visionary memory. Long, wavy red hair fell to her shoulders, the bangs of which hid a pair of deep emerald eyes. I blinked, in shock.  
  
"I know perfectly well who she is, Luke," the woman said, and she came towards me, holding out a hand. I took it, and when I did, she pulled me into a deep embrace.  
  
"They- they made me forget, Emra. They made me forget everything. But- when I was with Luke a few years ago, I unblocked everything. And upon seeing you, I knew something was familiar... so I went off and meditated."  
  
"But- who-?" I asked, overwhelmed for a moment.  
  
She smiled. "Emra, I know it's been thirty seven years, but you'd remember your little sister no matter what, wouldn't you?"  
  
I stepped away in shock, the visions from the past coming back into my memory. A woman who looked exactly as she did- Mara when she'd been little, hovering around my knees. I shivered, tears falling down my cheeks. "Mara? Mara, is that- is that really you?"  
  
"It's me. You know, I never really realized until a few years ago, thanks to Luke here," she said, nodding to the blonde man, "why it was I never went completely to the Dark Side. Then, we searched for an answer in my memories, and when we found it- it was you. You saved me."  
  
"I- it worked?"  
  
"Very much so." She came towards me, and I fell into the sisterly embrace, tears falling from my eyes. It was then that I let everything go, weeping uncontrollably into her flightsuit. She stroked my hair, and held me tight.  
  
"My mother and father... I don't remember them very well, Emra. Are they-"  
  
"They died," I whispered between tears. She held me closer, and then looked at the man she called Luke.   
  
"Luke, can we-"  
  
"Not a problem," he said, smiling. He walked back towards the ship, I supposed to tell whoever they were now under- not the Empire, I assumed, that I had been found.   
  
Mara sat me down and looked at me, her eyes expressing hurt. "I-I'm sorry," she said, looking down. "If I had known that you were still alive- that you existed, I would have looked for you-"  
  
"It's okay," I whispered, and realized that I meant it. Mother, Father, Jared... they might now all be gone, but I still had the one person who had needed me so when she was little- I still had one piece of my family left.   
  
I smiled and looked towards the sky, my heart filled with hope.  
  
No matter what this world was made of, who ruled, or what was law, as long as I could protect my sister, I would be fine.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
(fin) 


End file.
